R
rdean
Guest
Over the last year, I've had repeated bouts of pneumonia, bronchitis, constant coughing, sinusitis and a general sickness and severe headaches. So I went to the doctor over a period of months. He treated me for one thing and then the next. As one went away, another popped up. When that went away, the first one came back. Finally, around April of last year I stopped going.
I figured it was just a part of getting old.
Then, around September, all of them hit me at one time. I didn't have to be hospitalized, but I missed a lot of work and the doctor went after one symptom at a time until the only thing left was the coughing.
The doctor had me tested for TB, HIV, pneumonia and allergies and when all proved negative, he sent me to an "Ear, Nose and Throat" specialist. A CT scan discovered a bone broken and twisted sideways in my sinus. Up to high to be discovered with a regular exam.
Apparently, we swallow about a cup and a half of mucus every day. But it's like water. It keeps our sinuses moist and we don't even notice it. My sinuses were blocked. What was happening was the mucus was thickening and the pressure was pushing it down into my lungs when I was asleep. The pressure was causing the headaches and the thickened mucus was causing everything else.
Last Tuesday, I went into surgery. The bone was re-broken, my nose straightened (even though it looked perfectly straight), two splints placed inside my nose and two tubes run up into my forehead and two balloons expanded clearing out my sinus cavities. Thursday, I had the splints removed. When the first one came out, I was shocked at the huge size of it. I said to the doctor, "That was in my nose?" and he said if people knew what was going up there, they might not get the surgery.
No blowing, only sniffing. Mouth tastes like metal. It's the iron from all the blood. Nose filled with giant dark red scabs.
The point is, don't stop going to the doctor. If you are feeling sick, don't give up. It will only get worse.
If the symptoms I have sound familiar, make sure they thoroughly check your nasal cavity.
For people without health insurance, I don't know what to say. It's going to be very difficult. What I had could be considered a "pre-existing" condition. So I admit. I lied. I said I thought my nose may have been broken two years ago, well after I started the insurance.
I figured it was just a part of getting old.
Then, around September, all of them hit me at one time. I didn't have to be hospitalized, but I missed a lot of work and the doctor went after one symptom at a time until the only thing left was the coughing.
The doctor had me tested for TB, HIV, pneumonia and allergies and when all proved negative, he sent me to an "Ear, Nose and Throat" specialist. A CT scan discovered a bone broken and twisted sideways in my sinus. Up to high to be discovered with a regular exam.
Apparently, we swallow about a cup and a half of mucus every day. But it's like water. It keeps our sinuses moist and we don't even notice it. My sinuses were blocked. What was happening was the mucus was thickening and the pressure was pushing it down into my lungs when I was asleep. The pressure was causing the headaches and the thickened mucus was causing everything else.
Last Tuesday, I went into surgery. The bone was re-broken, my nose straightened (even though it looked perfectly straight), two splints placed inside my nose and two tubes run up into my forehead and two balloons expanded clearing out my sinus cavities. Thursday, I had the splints removed. When the first one came out, I was shocked at the huge size of it. I said to the doctor, "That was in my nose?" and he said if people knew what was going up there, they might not get the surgery.
No blowing, only sniffing. Mouth tastes like metal. It's the iron from all the blood. Nose filled with giant dark red scabs.
The point is, don't stop going to the doctor. If you are feeling sick, don't give up. It will only get worse.
If the symptoms I have sound familiar, make sure they thoroughly check your nasal cavity.
For people without health insurance, I don't know what to say. It's going to be very difficult. What I had could be considered a "pre-existing" condition. So I admit. I lied. I said I thought my nose may have been broken two years ago, well after I started the insurance.
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